Latest news with #Male
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
PM Modi eyes Brazil BRICS to firm up anti-terror plan
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to attend the BRICS summit in Brazil from July 6 to 7, as his government seeks to push the global anti-terror agenda as well as India's vision for the Global has also invited the PM for a state visit coinciding with the summit. If the PM attends the summit, it may give him an opportunity to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders from Indonesia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, countries that are members of BRICS, among issues that are expected to figure at the summit include reforms of the multilateral institutions, such as the UN Security Council, ET has learnt. As the current chair of BRICS, Brazil will focus on strengthening Global South cooperation and promoting more inclusive and sustainable governance. The summit will also address key priorities such as global health cooperation, trade and investment, climate change, AI governance and multilateral peace and of the summit, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is leading an Indian parliamentary delegation at the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasilia between June 3 and next month may also see the PM travelling to India's southern neighbour Maldives following an invite from President Mohamed Muizzu, who has sought to improve ties with New Delhi in backdrop of Male's precarious economic his visit here last month, Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Khaleel strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and expressed Male's solidarity with the people and the government of India, while offering its firm support to New Delhi in the fight against terrorism. It was Khaleel's third visit to India this shared his views during a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar. He also led Maldives at the 2nd India-Maldives High Level Core Group (HLCG) meeting to oversee progress in the implementation of the India-Maldives Vision Document on Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security that meeting, discussions focused on implementation of the joint vision by intensifying political exchanges, defence and security cooperation, development partnership, trade, economy, health and people-to-people linkages, officials also thanked the Indian government for providing timely emergency financial assistance to Male.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California, Trump and the battle over transgender athletes
The intense scrutiny of teenage transgender athletes in California intensified this week as the U.S. Justice Department announced it was investigating the state for allowing them to participate in girls' sports and President Trump threatened to cut federal funding over the issue. My colleagues Kevin Rector, Brittny Mejia and Howard Blume reported that the Justice Department is investigating whether California, its interscholastic sports federation, and the Jurupa Unified School District are violating the rights of cisgender high school girls by allowing trans athletes to compete alongside them. The department also threw its support behind a pending lawsuit alleging similar violations of girls' rights in the Riverside Unified School District, said U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, who oversees much of the Los Angeles region, and Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The announcements came one day after Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state if it continued to allow trans athletes to compete in women's sports. In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom — whom he called 'Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum' — saying that under his leadership, the state 'continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.'' The president referenced 'a transitioned Male athlete' who 'won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend.' My colleagues Blume, Hannah Fry, Steve Henson and Taryn Luna reported that Trump appeared to be referencing a transgender Jurupa Valley High School junior who won the girls' long jump and triple jump during the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet last week. Trump said he would be 'ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!' The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees sports at more than 1,500 high schools, announced that it would expand the number of athletes eligible to compete in the upcoming state championship. Under the new rules announced Tuesday, cisgender female athletes who fell one sport short of qualifying for the state track meet will be allowed to compete in the championship. Transgender athletes are not disqualified from participating. The state track meet begins Friday in Clovis. The city's mayor pro tem, Diane Pearce, wrote on Facebook that the new rules showed that CIF officials 'know they're in the wrong' and that 'we must keep up the pressure!' Earlier this week, Pearce criticized the competition of 'a biological male' in the event. Newsom praised the CIF rules. 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' said Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, in a statement. 'The governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.' The Democratic governor— an outspoken champion of LGBTQ+ rights since he was mayor of San Francisco — called trans athletes' participation in women's sports 'deeply unfair' during a podcast interview in March, splitting from many in his party on an issue that Republicans capitalized on during the presidential election. Trump has repeatedly targeted transgender rights during his first four months back in the White House. The president issued an executive order barring the federal government from recognizing genders other than male or female. And he has pushed to ban transgender Americans from the U.S. military, writing in an executive order that transgender identity is a 'falsehood' inconsistent with the 'humility and selflessness required of a service member.' The Supreme Court this month cleared the way for that ban to take effect. In February, Trump signed an executive order titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' which gave federal agencies the ability to penalize schools for allowing transgender athletes to compete — something the Trump administration says violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination. What else is going on Karen says, 'Murphys in Calaveras County.'Pasqual says, 'Mendocino.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Christina House on the set of 'Everybody's Live With John Mulaney' with actor Richard Kind. Hailey Branson-Potts, staff reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
Arab News
27-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia launches Makkah Route Initiative in Maldives
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched its Makkah Route Initiative in the Maldives, making it the eighth country to benefit from the scheme. The other seven countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye, Morocco and the Ivory Coast. President of the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the route at Velana International Airport in Male on Monday, in the presence of the Chairman of the Makkah Route Supervisory Committee Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya, Minister of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, and several other officials. The President's Office posted on X: 'President Dr @MMuizzu officially inaugurates the Makkah Route Initiative, accompanied by first lady madam @sajidhaamohamed. 'The president presented the passport to the first pilgrim utilizing the Makkah Route Initiative, while the first lady presented the passport to the second pilgrim.' The first group of 234 Maldivian pilgrims left Male Airport under the initiative for Saudi Arabia. This is a tremendous honor for the Maldivian people. Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, Maldives Minister of Islamic Affairs Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Ali Saeed described the occasion as a proud moment for all Maldivians. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives said it noted that the positive changes initiated in Hajj affairs under Muizzu's administration were now coming to fruition, transforming the pilgrimage experience for Maldivian pilgrims. The minister said: 'This is a historic page in our efforts to ease and enhance the Hajj journey for our citizens.' Ali Saeed expressed sincere gratitude to Muizzu for his strong support and commitment to making the Makkah Route Initiative a reality for the Maldives. He further revealed that the inclusion of the Maldives in the Makkah Route Initiative was made possible through special exemptions granted by Saudi Arabia, with the personal approval of King Salman. 'This is a tremendous honor for the Maldivian people,' he added, recognizing the close and valued relationship between the two nations. The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to provide high-quality services to pilgrims from beneficiary countries by streamlining travel procedures in their home countries and facilitating the smooth and seamless completion of process at their designated embarkation points. This includes collecting biometric data, electronically issuing Hajj visas, completing passport procedures at the departure airport following health verification, coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom, and transferring pilgrims to buses to their residences in Makkah and Madinah. Partner agencies are responsible for delivering the luggage to pilgrims' accommodation in the holy cities.
Zawya
27-05-2025
- Zawya
Maldives becomes 8th country benefiting from "Makkah Route" Initiative
MALE — Saudi Arabia launched the "Makkah Route" Initiative in the Maldives on Monday, making it the eighth country to benefit from the initiative. The other countries are Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Côte d'Ivoire. Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the Makkah Route Initiative at Velana International Airport in Male in the presence of Chairman of the "Makkah Route" Supervisory Committee Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya, Maldives Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and Acting Chargé d'Affaires at the Saudi Embassy in the Maldives Fahad Al-Dosari. A high-level Saudi delegation, including officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as senior officials from the Maldivian government also attended the ceremony. The first group of 234 Maldivian pilgrims under the Makkah Route Initiative left the Male airport for Saudi Arabia. The "Makkah Route" Initiative focuses on facilitating the smooth and seamless completion of all travel procedures for pilgrims from beneficiary countries in their designated embarkation points. These include issuing Hajj visas electronically, taking biometrics, completing entry procedures to the Kingdom from the airport of the country of departure after verifying that the required health requirements are met. The process involves coding and sorting luggage according to transportation and accommodation arrangements in the Kingdom. The passengers are then transferred directly to buses to be transported to their residences in Makkah and Madinah. Partner agencies are responsible for the delivery of their luggage to buses and accommodation of the pilgrims. The Ministry of Interior is implementing the initiative for the seventh year in a row as part of the Doyof Al-Rahman Program, one of the programs of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. This initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the General Authority for Endowments, the Doyof Al-Rahman Program, and the General Directorate of Passports. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UN raises concern at Maldives sacking judges
Flag of United Nation (Photo: AP) The top UN rights body raised concerns on Monday over the impeachment of two Supreme Court judges in the Maldives, which effectively stalled the review of a new law banning defections by parliamentarians. The United Nations Human Rights Office said the sacking by Male's parliament of two justices raised questions about the independence of the judiciary in the Indian Ocean archipelago. "We remind the authorities of their commitment to maintain and protect an independent judiciary, in line with the Maldives' constitution and international human rights obligations," spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in Geneva. The two judges, Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, were suspended in February and dismissed this month. Another judge, Husnu Al Suood, who was also accused of misconduct, resigned. With the unrelated retirement of another judge, the seven-member Supreme Court has been reduced to just three judges, leaving the superior court in limbo. "Checks and balances between the different branches of the state, including a strong and independent judiciary, play a vital role in ensuring fidelity to the rule of law by all branches of government and the effective protection of human rights," Laurence said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Modern and Economic Container Houses in the Philippines: 2025 Prices and Models LocalPlan Learn More Undo The Maldivian government denied it was interfering with the judiciary. "The government remains fully committed to maintaining the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law," foreign minister Abdulla Khaleel said on social media. President Mohamed Muizzu's party, the People's National Congress, enjoys an overwhelming majority in parliament, but has proposed constitutional amendments to prevent its members from defecting to the opposition. An opposition parliamentarian challenged the constitutionality of last year's anti-defection law, and the Supreme Court decided to take it up despite objections from the government. The Maldives is known for its upmarket tourism, but is also facing a severe shortage of foreign exchange, partly due to heavy borrowings from China and India. It has refused to seek an International Monetary Fund bailout and instead signed a deal with a Dubai-based company this month for an $8.8 billion investment to set up a financial free zone.
